Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Pucking Sweet

📚 Ugh why is this series so good??? And why isn't there more of it to read yet??? This book did a good job of bringing in events from books 1 and 2 in the series and putting them in a different context, so even if you knew what was happening from the previous books' MCs' perspectives, it felt familiar but still felt fresh.

📙 This was a great story. There was emotional vulnerability, there was rivalry, there was love and discovery and tons of sex. And I really liked all three of the MCs in terms of personality.

🎧 All three of the narrators (1 female, 2 male, all first person POV) did an excellent job with the material.

🌶️ 5/5 it didn't get into like deep/hardcore kink but other than that, this book (like the others in the series) is constantly on.

🏳️‍🌈✊ We of course have the diversity in sexuality involved in a 3 way relationship (and it is truly 3 way). There are also other team members who are queer (some from book 1 and some others). One of the MMCs is biracial: Black and (I think) white. This is a hockey romance, and it does seem like most of the side characters are white. There's diversity in backgrounds: one of the MCs grew up alone and basically on the streets, one had a loving middle class family, and the other comes from a powerful and moneyed (but cold) family.

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theblackstepford's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

So this was run of the mill for this author. It was 20 hours long and really didn’t need to be. FMC has an awful family throughout the book. That situation was solved… kinda. Things came to a head and then we, the reader, never heard anything else about it. Even in the epilogue, which happened YEARS later. The relationship was cool. The spicy scenes were above par, but this could have easily been a 12 hour listening experience, instead of 20. Spice 3.5/5 🌶️ storyline 2.75/5 📚

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skb163's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The span of this story is from the start of the first book in this series, through the second book in the series, and even beyond that. Yet I’d still say you can read this one without reading those two books. The other characters are in and out of this story, but their backstories are not needed to be fully immersed in this book.

That being said, some things happened in the last book, Pucking Wild, that gave a peek at the polyamorous relationship of Poppy, Lukas, and Colton and I couldn’t wait to find out how it all came to be and how it would play out. Lukas has not been what I would consider a likable character throughout the series. He likes to snipe at everyone, especially Colton. He teases Poppy relentlessly as if they’re in kindergarten and never seems to take anything seriously. Of course, that is all to keep everyone at arm’s length. Lukas cannot afford to form attachments to anyone as he knows those attachments are never real and never last.

Colton is such a lovely laid-back person who is fantastic at being the glue to the frenetic energy of Poppy and Lukas. I love the way he loves them. Not that he doesn’t need affection and care, too. Poppy knows this and eventually so does Lukas. This trio doesn’t work on paper. But when they are alone, when the walls are down, they are perfect. Lukas allows himself to be vulnerable, Colton allows himself to exert his powerful nature, and Poppy gives over her need for control. It works for them. If only they can realize that it can work just as well outside of their secret bubble.

Although Poppy has a lot to deal with in her family and Lukas had a terrible upbringing, there isn’t the same level of angst in this book as there is in the previous stories. There is conflict and confusion and many things to work out, but there never seems to be despair even when things look grim. There is great chemistry all around and I was always rooting for them to find their way to each other.

One final note that is specific to the audiobook: up to this point I have only heard Sean Crisden narrate the Icehome series by Ruby Dixon. In other words, I have only heard him be an alien. It was a joy to hear his voice in another context. I will admit that when Colton would get gravelly I’d think of those aliens! That’s not a bad thing though.

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bergha1998's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I cried, laughed, and enjoyed the spice throughout this whole book. Novy is going to be my fav character of the month, I’ve already called it. His journey throughout this book cause so much laughter and tears for me. And I loved Poppy and Colton, too. Enjoying an accidental pregnancy plot was not on my bingo card for this year, but it happened. Wrath can do no wrong.

MMF Romance, Enemies to Lovers and Friends to Lovers, 4 🔥

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kloughlin's review against another edition

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emotional funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really liked the story over all. That said, the parts of the story that matched up with the timeline of the previous two books no longer felt like the same characters. I could justify Poppy’s suddenly upbeat attitude towards the players and support staff as her putting on a happy front to other people. But I cringed when

Poppy grabbed the wine glass at the turtle party and sputtered to Rachel and Tess about her pregnancy and not knowing who the father was. Up until that point, it didn’t matter to her which one of them was the father and she spoke as if they both were the father. Plus, the reader never saw her struggle not to ingest alcohol before this scene. In fact, she politely held a glass of champagne without being tempted to sip it at Rachel’s wedding before the events of the turtle party.

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kristanjenkins's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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tguccione's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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